Coventry City fan devastated after dog eats promotion play-off tickets

A Coventry City fan was left devastated after coming home to find his dog had eaten his promotion play-off tickets.

Jim Lennon, 63, says his heart stopped when he saw cocker spaniel Leo had chewed the tickets that were posted through his letter box.

He had booked them for him and his grandson Jacob, 14, for Sunday's semi-final match against Middlesbrough.

But eight-month-old Leo had other ideas when they were posted through the door of his home in Coventry on Thursday morning.

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Lennon, who has been attending Sky Blues matches for 55 years, said: "I went pale, the blood just drained from me.

"I was panicking when I saw the mess in front of the door. My heart stopped."

Coventry are chasing a third promotion in the last six seasons and a return to the top flight of English football for the first time since 2001.

The side booked their place in the Championship play-offs on Bank Holiday Monday with a point at Middlesbrough.

A mad scramble for tickets launched after the result secured a fifth-place finish to the season and a two-legged semi-final clash with the Teessiders for a place at Wembley.

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Lennon, who had popped out to pick up some bits to do DIY around the house, feared he'd miss out after seeing the mess.

He added: "There was two other letters which he'd shredded. He's never done that before.

"But he's eight months old and he's got his new teeth so he's just getting to grips with them."

Luckily, Lennon was able to piece together much of the sought-after tickets and take them to the club's ticket office, where staff printed him off new ones.

He added: "I've ordered tickets for the away leg already, so I'll have to keep an eye out for them."